Information storage devices including for example ROM and gate array devices and photolithographic masters are frequently custom coded or customized for specific user application through masking and reticle techniques.
Such customizing in effect eliminates portions of a standard design and establishes the desired pattern or circuitry of a particular customer-specified scheme. Such techniques of custom coding generally change only the matrix portion of the standard design arrangement or geometry, with peripheral portions thereof remaining unchanged.
Present technology nonetheless requires changing the complete mask pattern for each particular user application which is custom coded. This involves a reticle or master fabrication cycle which is unnecessarily expensive and time consuming.
It is an object of the invention to avoid performance of an entire digitizing or photomask cycle each time a new pattern or geometry is to be established.